Vignettes of the World
My Travel Journal
There were a few times in our conversations that Mr. T warned me of what I see on-site at the DMZ. “These are one-sided stories,” he said a few times. He grew up in the south, and he has known the country’s narrative before North …
I guess people in Asia tend to think that those who speak fair English are from Singapore. Despite my initial introduction, Mr. T mistook me for a Singaporean a few times in our conversation. Although I did not insist on this point, I said that …
Bright and early at 8am I was ready for the day. I would be meeting Mr. T, an ARVN veteran of Vietnam War that will be leading me on a one-day tour at the DMZ (the Demilitarized Zone). The trip to the DMZ was the …
I told the taxi driver that I was going to visit a restaurant for a meal. The address was reading a bit odd to me, it says Opposite No. 35, Nguyen Truong To Street, Hue. The restaurant’s name is a nondescript Nguyen Truong To Nem …
As the taxi was pulling in, I saw the royal tomb of Khai Dinh from afar and I was awed. What is this? Khai Dinh, the driver said. Khai Dinh as a Nguyen Emperor Born Nguyen Phuc Buu Dao, Khai Dinh (ruled 1916-25) was the …
I had better hurry, for there were two more royal tombs to visit. The taxi driver took me to the next royal tomb, the Royal Mausoleum of Minh Mang. Minh Mang as a Nguyen Emperor Mr. Truong, who took me to the DMZ, told me …
After lunch, I stopped by a convenient store to get some water. The young man there spoke good English, so I asked about transportation to the royal tombs. The ticket to the Imperial Enclosure enabled same-day admission to the three royal tombs of Tu Duc, …
“Like its elegantly designed streets and architecture, most Vietnamese generally regard the food from Hue to be the most refined in all of the country.” Songs of Sapa at 78. Luke Nguyen on Vietnamese Food For anyone interested in the food of Vietnam, I recommend …
Perhaps throughout this tour I was most impressed by every gate that marked the entrances to the structures of the Imperial Enclosure. It seemed to me that protective walls surrounded every quarter and there would be a gate in the northern and southern entrances. This …
The Co Ha Gardens After asking for some directions, I found the Co Ha Gardens. These gardens were developed by the first four Emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty. Although, at some point in history, they fell into disrepair, the Vietnamese have restored most of them. …